Identity Theft - Different Types

There are two main types of identity theft - "true name" and "account takeover".

True Name Identity Theft

True name identity theft describes the scenario where the thief adopts your identity using stolen personal information and then uses this to either open new accounts or obtain services.

The thief might sign up for new credit card accounts, open new bank accounts or obtain a new service - e.g. a mobile phone.

Account Takeover Identity Theft

Account takeover identity theft means that the criminal uses stolen personal information to gain access to existing accounts. Usually the thief will change the address associated with the account and then run up a huge bill before the unfortunate person whose identity has been stolen is aware that there is a problem.